Intensions
by Eriberi
Summary: In Birchclan, one cat is desperately trying to live up to what she is expected to be, another has an awful forbidden love, and yet another is struggling with a terrible secret from his past. Meanwhile, a cat plans to bring darkness to the three clans...
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

Birchclan

Leader: Hazelstar- light brown tabby she-cat with big hazel eyes

Deputy: Petalfur- black she-cat with gray swirl markings

Medicine Cat: Flutterleaf- green eyed, white pelted she-cat

APPRENTICE, ANGELPAW

Warriors:

Sandpelt- sandy brown she-cat

Lionflash- magnificent golden tom

APPRENTICE, POPPYPAW

Spiritfang- muscular gray and white tom

Bramblebirch- brown and white tabby tom

APPRENTICE, SMOKEPAW

Never- she-cat with black fur

Stingstare- ginger tom spotted with white

Cloudtinge- Ginger-tinged white she-cat

Rainspot- striped orange tom with white paws

Featherfur- fluffy white she-cat

APPRENTICE, EVENINGPAW

Duskpelt- dark gray green-eyed tom

APPRENTICE, CRESCENTPAW

Lightstep- dark tabby she-cat with ice blue eyes

APPRENTICE, MAPLEPAW

Morningeye- gray she-cat with blue eyes

Stormfoot- gray tom with green eyes

Apprentices:

Eveningpaw- black she-cat

Poppypaw- black she-cat

Crescentpaw- gray and white she-cat

Maplepaw- ginger and white she-cat

Smokepaw- dark gray and white tom

Angelpaw- pretty white-ginger she-cat

Queens:

Honey- golden-orange she-cat, far from kitting herself but nursing Mintkit (Hazelstar and Bramblebirch's daughter, brown and white she-cat) and Sagekit (Hazelstar and Bramblebirch's son, brown and white tom)

Rippleheart- light gray she-cat

Elders:

Threefoot- aged she-cat with one bad leg

Furpatch- old battle-scarred tom

Mistclan

Leader: Streamstar- blue colored she-cat

Deputy: Sunpath- yellowy-orange tom

Medicine Cat: Whiskerwind- small tabby tom

APPRENTICE, RIVERPUSH

Warriors:

Swallowtail- gray-blue tom

Fallowpelt- dark gray tom

APPRENTICE, ORANGEPAW

Marshswim- pale gray she-cat with dark flecks

Whirlwind- pale gray tom

Larksing- dark ginger she-cat

APPRENTICE, TROUTPAW

Swiftheart- gray and white she-cat

APPRENTICE, SWIMPAW

Crowclaw- huge black tom with dark eyes

Earthpelt- long-haired dark she-cat

Breezefur- small brown tom

Robinwing- black she cat with brown markings

Cliffjump- broad-shouldered tom cat

Apprentices:

Orangepaw- ginger tom

Troutpaw- spotted gray tom

Swimpaw- ginger she-cat

Riverpush- she-cat with blue-gray fur

Queens:

Dandytail- long-tailed white she-cat

Snakespark- feisty she-cat

Elders:

Rustnose- pink-nosed she-cat

Memoryfur- very old tom

Fierceclaw- large dark brown tom

Stoneclan 

Leader: Darkstar- black tom with yellow eyes

Deputy: Brighterheart- white she-cat with black feet

Medicine Cat: Soartail- graceful she-cat, gray pelt

Warriors:

Dapplepelt- tortoiseshell she-cat

Oakridge- lightly colored tabby tom

APPRENTICE, RAVENPAW

Hollypond- long haired, blue eyes she-cat

Petuniapelt- pretty white and gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, LICHENPAW

Jayfeather- yellowy-orange tom

Tigerfur- orange tom with black markings

Ottersplash- light brown and black tabby tom

Rabbitbrush- soft, small white she-cat

Molepelt- brown tom

Loudsay- light gray she-cat

Tawnyfur- white and gray she-cat

APPRENTICE, LOGPAW

Apprentices:

Ravenpaw- jet-black tom

Lichenpaw- brown she-cat

Logpaw- brown tom

Queens:

Icepool- white and gray she-cat

Sparrowfeather- light short-haired tabby, mother of Shardkit and Berrykit

Blurwatch- white she-cat, mother of Bumblekit and Patchkit

Elders:

Leafstone- ancient she-cat

Fellfur- tom

Hawktail- strong brown tom


	2. Prologue

It was very quiet.

The air was quiet. The trees were quiet. There was no chirping of crickets even though the air was moist and warm, and despite the swaying of the grass and the bushes in the field, there was no sound of a breeze as there would be in any normal place.

This field was not filled with brown patches of grass, or dusty dirt. There were no breaks in the long ocean of vibrant green grass, and it seemed to go on forever. The field went on further then the eye could see, a seemingly longer distance then the moon is from the forest. And this was a peculiar thing, because here there was no moon.

And no stars. The sky was a simple black- not navy blue and not light blue. It was just black, a vast area that could hardly count as a sky at all. During the day time, of course, there would be a blue sky. Clearer and purer then any blue a cat had ever seen in their life. It was sometimes filled with puffy white clouds and sometimes filled with wispy little white clouds and sometimes there were no clouds at all. And the sun could be seen in day- it illuminated this place like any other.

But there were never stars, never a moon. Because this was high above where most cats lived- above where the moon and the stars were hung in the sky, yet not going as far as above the sun. The reason there was clouds was because clouds can go on forever, appearing and disappearing endlessly.

A cat was in the middle of the field- and it was standing on a boulder, a big gray boulder. It was just a silhouette as it sat there, head tilted up towards the black sky, looking at something that wasn't there. But upon closer inspection, the cat wasn't just a dark shape at all. In fact, it was the opposite. Stars were spotted in its light brown and white fur, and even though that fur was not long the stars still stayed, glittering whenever the cat shifted its position. Its eyes, a mixture of light green and light blue, appeared to be two round, shimmering stars in themselves, as they were much shinier then normal cat eyes. All in all, this cat was a very bright cat- it lit up the entire boulder it was sitting on when turned just the right way, glowing stars hitting the rock and bouncing back to make everything around him seem to shimmer.

Another cat was near. The cat on the boulder sensed this, and turned its head downwards, looking around him. Both of his ears were pricked, the good ear and the ear that was only half there, edges torn and ripped. His tail was the same way, patches of fur missing here and there from battles long past.

The new cat walked towards the boulder, and he and the boulder-cat locked eyes, green-blue to straight dark green. This new cat was similar to the boulder-cat- not because their fur or build was the same, because it wasn't. The new cat had fiery orange fur and a white chest, and he was larger then the boulder-cat- but his fur and eyes were just as starry.

When the orange cat was just a bit away from the boulder, close enough to leap up and hoist himself onto it, he spoke in his rough voice. "Tornstar."

A simple greeting. Tornstar nodded at the orange cat and the orange cat sprung onto the boulder to sit beside Tornstar, who was once again looking at the sky.

This was strange, because there was nothing there at all. Down below, in the normal forest, it was a common thing to observe the sky, watching the moon and the stars. But since the sky was black here, there was nothing to see. The orange cat seemed to find this strange too, for he next asked, "What are you looking at, Tornstar?"

Tornstar straightened his head out again and stared right ahead. "I have a feeling," he meowed, fur very slightly rippling in a motion that was the same as how the grass was rippling. The fiery orange cat tipped his head sideways, thinking about what Tornstar had said.

Before the orange cat could ask questions, Tornstar continued, in his voice that was smoother but slightly higher then the orange cat's voice. "It is not a good feeling, Torchfur. I am sensing something, down in the forest and the swamp and the plains, for all three of the clans."

Torchfur was surprised, because Tornstar was previously the leader of only one clan. Usually, he had feelings only about his own old clan- and the other cats that lived up here, who were too numerous to ever imagine counting, had feelings about their own clans. And sometimes a prophecy came to them, and they had to pass it on to their old clanmates.

"There is no prophecy," Tornstar said, not giving Torchfur a chance to speak yet. "No prophecy, only darkness. Darker then this sky right now, as it always is at night."

"But what does this mean for our clan?" For Torchfur was once the deputy of the same clan Tornstar had led.

The brown and white tom cat resumed his act of watching the dark sky. He did not reply for a matter of time, and Torchfur waited impatiently for his response.

Finally, Tornstar blinked. "I can not tell. I can only know that it means bad things, terrible things, for moons to come." This was such a vague response that it was of no use- he could not share these words a cat still living in the clans, for it would only confuse them and worry them. There must be a worded prophecy that one of these cats above came up with, to warn and tell cats below of times to come. But if Tornstar only felt darkness, there were no words in which he could possibly put to that.

The two cats sat there, for a long time. Down in the forest below, it was now day time and enough time had passed that it should be day time up where Tornstar, Torchfur, and all the other departed cats were. But this was not how this land worked- sometimes it was night and sometimes it was day, and occasionally in between the two. Nothing was set in stone- the very field in which Tornstar and Torchfur were sitting in was not to be found the next day, or maybe even ever again. Here, everything went on forever until the place of darkness- and that place of darkness, which no cats except for the truly evil ones walked in, was so far away that it was sometimes doubted that it was in existence.

After a very long time, another cat approached. This cat was much smaller then either of the two sitting on the boulder, and she had a very different scent to her. While Tornstar and Torchfur smelled like pine and wood, this cat smelled like stones and grass. She was significantly more graceful in jumping onto the boulder then Torchfur had been, and her fur was longer as well. As there were in the pelts of Tornstar and Torchfur, the same many stars were scattered and buried in her gray and white pelt.

"Greetings," she meowed right away, as she was not one for silence. Her voice possessed the knowledge and wisdom of cats much moons older then she- but as her body was not aging up here, her still slightly developing mind seemed out of place for her body, because once a cat was not a kit anymore, up here they would act like a warrior even if they were not one.

Tornstar returned the greeting with a nod of his head, and Torchfur said, "Hello, Flurrypaw. What brings you here?"

Of course, nothing brought Flurrypaw there- she had simply been walking in the grass, feeling but not hearing the breeze, when she had seen the two perched upon the rock and felt compelled to go and chat, or say hello, or just nod as she passed. And she had chosen to come and chat.

All three were now looking at the sky. Tornstar's face held a mixture of concern and confusion- and it could be concluded, possibly, that this was because he did not know why he felt darkness for the clans ahead. Flurrypaw felt something inside her as well, and had already recognized what the emotion was instantly.

"Do either of you feel the way the air is tonight?" she asked simply, and both Tornstar and Torchfur strangely knew what she meant. Tornstar twitched his one ear in great surprise.

"Yes, in fact, I do," he meowed, raising his eyebrows at Flurrypaw. Usually when there was a strong feeling in the sky, or a prophecy carries on the wind, more then one cat up here felt it, and it was always a relief to know that another cat was sharing in similar worries and confusion- and Tornstar had been both worried and confused. The darkness and ominous feeling had started to frighten him, because it hadn't let up or ceased at all since it started.

But Flurrypaw's next words clouded Tornstar's mind, making him feel worse then he had before. "It's simply beautiful," she commented, "full of love."

"What?" Tornstar could hardly believe his one-and-a-half ears, certain he must have heard wrong, somehow. This fear and anger and darkness he'd been feeling was hardly mistakable for love, and he wondered how any cat could feel something so opposite when the darkness was this strong.

"Yes," Flurrypaw continued, "it's very much love-feeling. I do believe that soon there will be cats falling in love within the clans below us. It's wonderful, I do wonder who it is."

This couldn't be right- because if Flurrypaw was certain that she felt love coming, and Tornstar was certain that he felt bad things like anger and deception, which feelings were right?

They all fell into silence, trying to make sense of what these mixed emotion-prophecies meant, and it stayed that way for many heartbeats.

The sky was just starting to lighten up, just a little bit. The black sky was now navy blue and there was the tiniest bit of the sun protruding from the far-off horizon. A sliver of light among the star-studded cats.

A fourth scent washed over the boulder, apart from the scents of the three cats already there. This scent was not rocky, grassy, or even of pine and trees. It was the strangest scent of the three to Tornstar and Torchfur- but completely normal to the cat who it was coming from. The scent was a combination of fish and wetlands, like ponds and marshes. It belonged to a beautiful she-cat. Her fur was long and since it was a pure-white, instead of appearing spotted with stars it positively glowed, and one's eye could only catch the actual star-sparkle if this white cat turned just the right way.

She was a little bit smaller then Flurrypaw, and tiny in comparison to Torchfur. Her blue eyes found the three cats on the boulder and she climbed up to join them, making room for herself and swishing her tail back and forth.

Tornstar greeted her first, followed by murmuring of hello from Torchfur and Flurrypaw. "Greetings, Frostpaw."

She dipped her head at the older cat. "Tornstar, Torchfur, Flurrypaw. I came to ask if you felt what is in the air tonight. Not a prophecy of words, but of feelings- the kind we cannot pass on to our cats that are living."

Tornstar's heart leapt in excitement- for maybe Frostpaw would feel the darkness too. But the hope sank as quickly as it had arisen- he had been sure that Flurrypaw's feelings were the same as his own, and they had not been. What was he to say that Frostpaw's own thoughts could be different from love and darkness altogether?

"I feel something, too," Flurrypaw informed Frostpaw. "It is love and hope and dreams for the future."

Tornstar couldn't help but add his own words. "I feel things too, but they are not the same as Flurrypaw's at all. I feel darkness, hate, revenge, and danger."

"What is this to mean for the clans?" Torchfur wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure," Frostpaw replied, "but what I feel is indecision. The cross between being loyal and respectful and doing what it right, opposed to the feelings of not caring any longer."

As the cats sat on the boulder, now four of them, they all were thinking different things, trying to come up with a reason as to why all of these mixed emotion-prophecies were hung in the air on that night. But by the time the sun was fully visible in the sky, low and sending out rays of light, painting the sky brilliant colors of pink, and blue, and orange, they had all come to the very same basic conclusion as to what they meant.

The time ahead for the clans would be very hard indeed.

3


	3. Chapter One

Chapter One

"Mintkit, Mintkit!"

The small brown and white kit raised her head, peering around to find who was speaking to her. Her brown and white fur was ruffled from sleep, even though it was day. She finally managed to focus on a similar-looking but larger tom, and he was pawing excitedly at the moss she was sleeping on.

"You're hurting my nest," she meowed crossly, and tried to shovel the ripped moss back onto the nest with her paw. Why couldn't Sagekit just let her sleep, for once in her life?

Sagekit tilted his head to the side, oblivious to his sister's unwillingness to do whatever he wanted to do. "Sorry. But please, you have to see this!" He was large for a kit of his age, and though he still had a half-moon until apprenticeship, already acted like he was the boss of everyone. To Sagekit, being an apprentice would be the best thing in the world.

"What is it? Tell me before I come." Mintkit was tired of her brother waking her up whenever she was sleeping, constantly- he was always scuffing his paws on the side of the nursery cave, or pestering Honey about being hungry, or trying to make Mintkit annoyed. _He's really good at that_, Mintkit thought.

Her brother quivered with happiness only a kit could possess. "It's a giant butterfly! It's just outside the cave and it's really big and we could try and catch it!"

Sighing, Mintkit pushed herself up from her warm nest, hoping that at the last second Sagekit might change his mind and want to have a nap instead- but that was wishful thinking. Even though Mintkit hadn't got any sleep last night because of Sagekit's snoring, he himself was well rested and bouncing around like kits did. "Alright, show me the giant butterfly." _But this better be the most amazing butterfly I've ever seen!_

Padding out of the nursery- in Sagekit's case, bounding out of the nursery- Mintkit shook a few last scraps of moss from her pelt. She did have to agree that it was a nice butterfly, once Sagekit had pointed it out. Big and colored black and orange, wings still as it perched on a wildflower. Perfect for chasing and catching.

Her energy suddenly restored, Mintkit's paws felt energized. "I'm going to catch it!" she declared, and dropped into a clumsy hunting crouch like she'd seen the apprentices practicing around camp. It didn't feel right at all- her tail was swaying back and forth and as she stilled it she realized her rump was too high in the air. _Whatever, I'm sure it's good enough for a butterfly!_

The she-kit pounced on the monarch, but it fluttered away at the last second- to her left, straight into the camp clearing. Sagekit let out a feisty growl and on his first leap, pinned it down with his big paw.

"Well done, Sagekit!"

Mintkit looked to see Lionflash, the huge long-haired tom with fur that flashed in the sunlight. Her heart sunk- praise from this warrior was not easily earned. She remembered hearing that he'd once been a kittypet with his sister, Honey, and Angelpaw had lived beside them in her own Twoleg nest. Mintkit shuddered to think of the easy life of a kittypet- but was glad Lionflash, Honey, and Angelpaw had given it up.

Sagekit lifted his brown paw and the butterfly flew away, the first few seconds of its flight a little bit disoriented. His proud look made Mintkit feel angry, though she wasn't exactly sure why._ It was just a dumb butterfly! _But she protested anyways.

"I was going to catch that!" Mintkit whined, glaring at her brother. He shrugged. "There's like, a billion more in the forest."

For some reason, that butterfly had felt special to Mintkit and it could have been her that Lionflash praised if dumb Sagekit hadn't stolen her butterfly. She sat down heavily and watched in a gloom as Lionflash tossed a large ball of moss at Sagekit, who, as he had done with the butterfly, pinned it down with his paw.

Mintkit was tired of watching Sagekit. She went back inside the nursery, curled into her tiny nest, fit for her tiny frame, and fell fast asleep.

"Wake up, Mintkit!"

Mintkit imagined knocking Sagekit out of the nursery door and into the bushes so she could get some sleep. Stretching and yawning, she glared at her brother. The nursery was now as dark as it was outside- it wouldn't be moonhigh for a while, but the moon was definitely out.

"What do you want now?"

The nursery was completely empty except for her and her brother- and then she remembered that there was a Gathering tonight. Gatherings weren't much fun to her. They just meant that most of the cats in camp went away for the night and came back exhausted and sometimes grumpy.

Sagekit bounced up and down. "They're all leaving for the Gathering soon!"

"So?" _Am I supposed to care?_

"Let's go with them!"

Mintkit rolled her eyes. Sagekit knew that the Gathering was only for cats older then six moons. "We can't go, silly. We're not apprentices. "

Her brother looked appalled. "I know that! I'm not dumb! Nobody has to know we're gone!"

"Yeah, and Honey isn't dumb either. She'll notice we're not here, mouse-brain!"

Sagekit was beginning to look cross that his idea wasn't faring well with his sister. "She's going to be sleeping all night."

Mintkit stiffled a giggle. Sometimes her brother was so oblivious, thinking he could get away with anything and everything just because he was the leader's son. He thought he was so great just because he would be a good hunter, and a good fighter when he was an apprentice. The clan had high hopes for Sagekit.

"But if they catch us, our apprenticeship might be put off. They do that sometimes, y'know. I don't want to wait any longer then what we already have to!" Mintkit had to admit to herself that she wanted to go to a Gathering- the warriors were talking about it for days afterwards, and Poppypaw and Smokepaw always boasted about how great it was.

This wasn't worrying Sagekit. "Hazelstar's not going to put off her own kit's apprentice ceremonies."

Before Mintkit could put in a word, he continued. "And we could just, like, walk really far behind them and stuff. We can hide in the bushes around Three Stones and then we'll be able to see what's going on and hear the leaders when they're talking."

_What's the point of going to a Gathering if you don't get to talk to cats from other clans? _She was just about to say this when Sagekit added, "And if you don't go, I'm going to know that you're just a scaredy-kit."

Mintkit bristled at the insult. "I am not a scaredy-kit!" she mewed, hating herself for giving in. Sagekit really did know how to get to her. After all, he was probably aware that she hated being "Hazelstar's daughter and Sagekit's smaller sister". _Everyone expects me to be so brave and 'do great things' all the time just because my mother did! Well, Sagekit's already living up to that, so I guess it's my turn to stop being a scaredy-kit and do something brave and fun! _

"So you'll go?" Sagekit looked smug.

"Fine," Mintkit agreed. "But while we're there you have to hush up for once so I can hear what the leaders are saying!"

The two kits walked out of the nursery to see what was happening in the clearing. Mintkit could see Sagekit looking longingly at the camp entrance. "Not until after they leave!" she whispered in his ear, discouraging any attempt at going into the forest before the Gathering patrol left.

Hazelstar was busily trying to arrange the cats she'd take to the Gathering. Apprentices surrounded her, begging to go, and Mintkit felt sorry for her mother as she finally turned to them and hissed, "Nobody will be going to the Gathering if you all kill me with your incessant whining!"

The five apprentices backed off, and two headed straight for Sagekit and Mintkit.

"Hazelstar's going to tell us if we're going to the Gathering in just a moment," Smokepaw said proudly. Poppypaw nodded beside him.

"It's too bad kits can't go to Gatherings," she mewed in her smooth voice, black pelt blending in with the dark forest behind her. She and Smokepaw shared a smirk.

Sagekit started to say something, but before he could brag about how he _was_ going to the gathering, Mintkit shoved her shoulder hard into his flank. "When we're old enough," she mewed, not wanting to pick a fight with the two snooty apprentices. The other three apprentices were just fine, and Mintkit adored Eveningpaw because the sweet she-cat always brought back extra wads of moss or a long stick for her and Sagekit to play with. But Poppypaw and Smokepaw were a different story- the two were best friends, always together, and Smokepaw's I'm-better-then-everyone behavior had rubbed off on Poppypaw.

"Yup," Poppypaw agreed, trying to keep a straight face. "If the foxes don't get you first. I've never seen a kit as small as you in my life!"

"Have you seen Flutterleaf's supply of mint lately? She hasn't been able to find any. It's so small it's hardly there. Maybe that's why they named you Mintkit!" Smokepaw and Poppypaw burst into laughter, and trotted away to pester Hazelstar again before Mintkit could retort.

She found herself upset. "It's not fair," she whimpered, pawing at the ground. "They never make fun of you, because you're big."

Sagekit frowned and then flicked his tail along her pelt. "Cheer up, Mintkit. That was a pretty mean thing they said but you'll get over it. Come on, we're going to the Gathering!"

This did cheer Mintkit up a bit- because they when she was an apprentice, she could still say she'd gone to a Gathering earlier then anyone had ever gone before.

Soon the moon was near the center of the starry sky, and Hazelstar called the cats that were going to the Gathering together. Mintkit could make out about thirteen cats all crowded together, but she couldn't tell who exactly they were. She couldn't tell which apprentices were going, but she hoped that Poppypaw and Smokepaw weren't among the patrol. The only cat that Mintkit could see was Angelpaw, who was standing right in the moonlight, her clear blue eyes flashing with excitement of her first Gathering as the medicine cat apprentice.

Sagekit turned to Mintkit and whispered to her, "Remember. We're gonna go and pretend we're asleep first and then when we hear the patrol leave we'll sneak out the entrance and catch up with the patrol."

Mintkit could see many flaws in this plan- first of all, she could already see Honey settling down in her nest and soon she would call Sagekit and Mintkit inside to sleep. How were they to get up without disturbing Honey? Second of all, there was usually a guard at the camp entrance. And third of all...

"How in Starclan are we supposed to catch up with the patrol?" Mintkit pouted. "After waiting for Honey to fall asleep, sneaking out of camp past the guard, and trying to scent which way the patrol went, they'll be so far gone that we'll be lost in the forest!"

Not concerned, Sagekit started towards the nursery, tail flicking excitedly. "oh, it'll work out," he said confidently.

_I hope so, cause if you're going to get us caught, then you're the one taking the blame!_

Mintkit opened a single eye, and her eye met Sagekit's. Honey was sleeping soundly, and they had been lucky- the she-cat must have been absolutely exhausted, because she had fallen asleep almost instantly.

Sagekit gave a slight nod to Mintkit, and, very quietly, the two kits rose from their nests beside Honey and padded out of the den. Mintkit's heart was practically in her throat, and she resisted the urge to let out a huge sigh of relief when they got out of the nursery cave. Next came the difficult part- getting past the camp guard.

Both of the kits strained to see who was on guard that night, squinting. Finally, Mintkit was able to make the dark figure out. "I think it's Stormfoot," she breathed to Sagekit.

The tomt was sitting a little slumped over, which was good- if Stormfoot was tired, then they'd have a better chance of getting out of the camp unnoticed.

Mintkit and Sagekit crept to the side of the camp. All of the caves where the cats who were not at the Gathering were sleeping lined the clearing in a big circle, except for Hazelstar's den, which was just beside the Moss Rock. If they were lucky, everyone in the caves would be sound asleep, or at least not paying attention to the two little shapes crawling past their cave entrances.

Sagekit and Mintkit did just this- crawled past the cave entrances- until they cave to a large bush. And right beside that bush was the entrance to the camp. Maybe, just maybe, if they pressed themselves against the bush without making any noise, Stormfoot wouldn't notice them.

The bush rustled very slightly as Mintkit passed it, and Sagekit soon followed. It made enough of a noise that Stormfoot snapped up his head. "Whozzat?" Mintkit's heart pounded as she broke into a run, avoiding the twigs that littered the ground. She could hear Sagekit's small pawsteps behind her and prayed to Starclan that Stormfoot hadn't seen them.

She slowed down and waited for Sagekit, who arrived huffing and puffing. "I thought he was going to see us!" he mewed triumphantly, "I told you, you had nothing to worry about at all!"

And now they were out of the camp, without Honey or Rippleheart or Hazelstar watching over them. Free to do whatever they wanted to- but they already knew what they wanted to do.

"Can you smell where they went?" Mintkit asked Sagekit, who had his nose in the air. He shook his head and opened his jaws. Suddenly, a short breeze drifted past them, making the needles on the trees shake. A rush of scent overcame Minkit- and she recognized the smells of her older clanmates. "I smell them!"

"Me, too!" meowed Sagekit excitedly, fogetting to keep his voice low. Mintkit _shushed_ him, and pointed her tail into a tangle of tall pine trees. "I think they went this way!"

The two were off, running as fast as their legs could carry them. The scents were getting closer and closer, and Mintkit realized that the patrol must be simply walking- because she and Sagekit would have never had a chance of getting near them if the Birchclan Gathering patrol had been going any faster.

They ran for what seemed like ages- by the time they burst out of the trees, the moon was nearly at its highest point in the sky, and Mintkit felt like her paws would drop off.

Sagekit obviously felt the same way. "I..am....tired," he breathed heavily, and Mintkit nodded in agreement while trying to catch her own breath.

Both of their energy levels were immediately restored when Sagekit's ears perked up and he gestured towards a flowing river. "Look!"

Mintkit looked. There were the Birchclan cats, walking along at a leisurely pace, chatting amongst each other. They passed where the trees ended into a large plainlike area- Mintkit couldn't see how long it went on, but she did know that there were moe cats approaching.

"Look!" Sagekit said again, as another group of cats padded towards the Birchclan cats. Mintkit noticed the heap of fallen logs going across the river where it thinned out a bit- and realized that that must be where Stoneclan and Birchclan crossed into the Gathering area. Squinting harder, she could make out the three tall stones in the Gathering area, where she had heard that the leaders delivered their news.

Meanwhile, the Birchclan cats had mingled with the other group of cats- and Mintkit had heard enough stories to know that this must be Stoneclan, who lived in the plains and rocky fields just beside Birchclan- Mistclan lived on the other side of the river.

"I think we should follow them, now," Sagekit said under his breath as the two ducked behind a bush. Mintkit shook her head vigorously as the cats, three by three, crossed into the Gathering area.

"Sagekit, not yet! They're going to-"

She cut herself off, because it was too late. Sagekit had bounded into the open field, crossing into Stoneclan territory, and Mintkit was forced to run after him. Their loud pawsteps disrupted the clan's chatter- and several cats looked back.

"Hey, there's two kits!" a Stoneclan cat called out. The Birchclan warriors who were still waiting to cross the logs turned around.

"Are they from Birchclan?" a she-cat from Stoneclan wondered aloud.

A few cats padded closer to Mintkit and Sagekit, scenting them. "They _are _Birchclan!"

Mintkit's heart sank, and her head swam. This was it. They were done for. The Birchclan cats would soon recognize them and have to take them back to camp, and they'd never become apprentices and it was all Sagekit's fault-

"Sagekit? Mintkit?"

A familiar voice had Mintkit looking up. It was Petalfur, their deputy.

"What in the world are you two doing here?" She sounded angry and annoyed.

Mintkit refused to speak. It was Sagekit's idea, so she would let him speak for himself.

"W-we wanted to come to the Gathering," he squeaked, staring at the ground and avoiding Petalfur's eyes.

Another two cats joined Petalfur- to Mintkit's utter dismay, it was Poppypaw and Bramblebirch.

Poppypaw recognized up right away and a cruels sneer fell over her face. "Did the kits try to come to the Gathering?" she asked Mintkit and Sagekit in a baby-voice that made Mintkit want to claw her nose off.

"Shush, Poppypaw. You go across the Fallen Logs into the Gathering, and I'll take care of these two here."

Unhappy that she hadn't gotten to make more remarks, Poppypaw left to go across the Fallen Logs. Bramblebirch turned his stare on them.

"Why are you two here?" His voice was stern nd Mintkit shut her mouth tight. Sagekit replied, once again, "We wanted to come to the Gathering."

Bramblebirch's eyes flashed with annoyance, and a bit of amusement. "You cant be at the Gathering until you're apprentice. Did you really think this would work?"

Mintkit shook her head, staring at the ground, but Sagekit kept his head held high.

"We're going to have to talk to Hazelstar about this," Bramblebirch meowed sternly. "Honey must be worried sick! Shame on you two for making her worry when she's to have kits of her own. And shame on you both for coming all the way out here."

Mintkit suddenly felt badly. looking at Petalfur's and Bramblebirch's angry faces, she realized how stupid of an idea this was. _Dumb Sagekit!_ she thought furiously, _what a dumb idea, coming to a Gathering when we're only kits!_

Silently, Bramblebirch flicked his tail at Petalfur to return back to the Gathering. "I'll take them home," he said, "I'm sure Hazelstar will hear about it from someone or another later, and she'll talk with these two about their punishment. I certainly hope none of the Stoneclan cats think us foolish enough to let our kits roam the forest freely!"

So Mintkit, Sagekit, and their father walked back to camp. Mintkit was more tired then she'd ever been in her life- she just wanted to get home and go to sleep, warm and cozy in her nest next to Honey. This walk seemed longer and much slower then it had been when she and Sagekit were running it. Then, their veins had been filled with excitement and energy for the Gathering. Now, there was nothing except weariness.

"Mintkit! Sagekit!" cried a frantic voice as soon as they at last padded into camp. "Where in the name of Starclan have you two been? I'm so glad you're safe!" Honey rushed up to them, purring furiously and rubbed her cheek against theirs.

"They decided to tag along to the Gathering," Bramblebirch meowed crossly. Honey wasn't a clan-born cat and she didn't often go to Gatherings, but she did know that kits weren't even supposed to be out of camp.

Mintkit suddenly felt like she couldn't walk another pawstep- and if she had to stand there one bit longer, she would collapse right there and then. "Please," she begged in a small voice, "I'm really tired. Can I please go and sleep?"

Honey looked at her with sympathy. "Of course," she said, and when Bramblebirch looked like he was going to protest, she added, "They've been to Three Stones and back. We can talk out here- let them go sleep."

Gratefully, Mintkit and Sagekit made their ways to their nests, and Mintkit settled herself down, burying her head into the cold moss.

_I never want to do that again as long as I live. I can't believe we caused so much trouble...._


End file.
